The Days to Daytona countdown is officially at the halfway point. 20 days down, 20 days to go. At the halfway point, the countdown previews the first team that will (knowingly) utilize multiple drivers throughout the season. With AJ Allmendinger going back to the Xfinity Series, the #16 Kaulig Racing team will be an open seat in 2024.
#16 Kaulig Racing
Driver: AJ Allmendinger & TBD
Crew Chief: Travis Mack
Sponsors: Celsius
2024 Season Preview
Return of the “Trophy Hunting” Car
Perhaps the most disappointing bit of last year’s silly season news, the 16 Kaulig Racing team will return to being an open car. The team will still race all 38 Cup events as Kaulig still holds a charter for the car. However, AJ Allmendinger will no longer be the fulltime driver. Based on reports, the decision to demote Allmendinger came down to finances. Apparently, Allmendinger would not bring in enough sponsorship to foot the 2024 bill. Kaulig will spin this into the 16 car being the “trophy hunting” ride. However, the reality is a lot bleaker and Kaulig’s Cup prospects are in decline.
Whose Driving?
At the time of writing, the only known driver for the 16 car is AJ Allmendinger for The Clash and Daytona 500. The remainder of the drivers has yet to be announced. Shane van Gisbergen, who is driving fulltime with Kaulig’s Xfinity Series program, has been announced for 7 races, but which car/team he will be driving for is still unknown. It would make sense for Trackhouse to use the 16 car instead of PROJECT91.
After that, Ty Dillon said he would be making some Cup starts when he announced his move to the Truck Series. Dillon was linked to Kaulig for much of silly season. One would assume that Josh Williams might also get a chance in the seat for a race or two. Does that make up 38 races? Probably not, so it will be interest to see what other Chevy drivers wheel the 16 car this season.
Charter for Sale or Fulltime Driver for 2024?
While team president Chris Rice recently said he did not foresee a charter sale in the “next 24 months“, the questions will inevitably keep coming to Kaulig Racing about their charter. After building up the program to have two fulltime drivers, the drop back down to one due to financial reasons might be cause for questioning. Perhaps Kaulig finds a driver that has the funding to run with the team fulltime in 2024. However, that seemed like an option for this season but that did not come to fruition. If Kaulig does not sell, then it might be likely for the team to lease the charter. Trackhouse Racing might be a strong candidate for that lease, especially since they have four Cup-level drivers signed to their roster.
Daytaon 500 Chances
At least Kaulig Racing has their announced the driver of the 16 for the Daytona 500. AJ Allmendinger will helm the car for his second straight Great American Race. Surprisingly, Allmendinger is on a 3 race Top-10 streak in the 500. Last year, Allmendinger wheeled the 16 car to a 6th place finish. While known for his abilities on the road courses, Allmendinger is a solid superspeedway racer.
Speedweeks Outlook
Kaulig Racing teams have not qualified particularly well at Daytona. Based on this trend, do not expect a strong qualifying run out of AJ Allmendinger. In his duel race, Allmendinger will likely lay low and keep the car in one piece for the Daytona 500. That is what he did in last year’s duel race. However, Allmendinger has brought his A-game to the 500 in his recent starts. No one will expect the road course ace to win the Daytona 500. However, how different could the 16 car’s season be if Allmendinger managed to grab the win?
Previous Days
40-36 Days: 40 – #12, 39 – #5, 38 – #24, 37 – #20, & 36 – #11
35-31 Days: 35 – #45, 34 – #17, 33 – #6, 32 – #1, & #31 – #9
30-26 Days:Â 30 – #19, 29 – #22, 28 – #4, 27 – #8, & 26 – #34
25-21 Days: 25 – #34, 24 – #23, 23 – #54, 22 – #99, & 21 – #48
